It was thirty years ago last month that the Centers for Disease Control published an article reporting the first known cases of what is now called AIDS. As the HIV/AIDS epidemic begins its fourth decade, a collective of local HIV/AIDS service organizations are working together to acknowledge and commemorate the past thirty years through a new community effort, HIV30: Take Action Seattle.

The HIV30 group will also be displaying a collaborative art installation on the Sound Transit “Red Wall” along Broadway on Capitol Hill. Organizers are working together to create a three-part art installation that both reflects and commemorates our unique, individual and community experiences in regard to the epidemic that changed the landscape of the world.

The community is invited to join HIV30 at the Sound Transit “Red Wall” on Broadway for the unveiling of the first section of the HIV30 Red Wall project, 30 Years, A Retrospective, on Thursday, July 14 at 7pm. This section will depict a graphic timeline of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the impacts it has had both locally and nationally. The unveiling will feature an invocation and blessing from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and will include remarks from: Fred Swanson, Gay City Health Project; Robert Yoon, Seattle HIV Vaccine Trials Unit; and Jeffrey Hedgepeth, Pride Foundation. State Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle is also scheduled to appear.

The unveiling of the remaining two sections will take place over the next six months. The project will initially depict a graphic timeline of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The second section will showcase imagery representing people’s experiences with HIV/AIDS in Seattle, and will be installed in early Autumn. The third installation will highlight ways to stay involved and demonstrate continued commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS, and will be installed in conjunction with the 2011 World AIDS Day in December. 

To find out more information about the community art project or HIV30: Take Action Seattle, please visit HIV-30.org.